York

I

Introduction

York, city, administrative centre of City of York unitary authority, geographically located in North Yorkshire, northern England, at the confluence of the Ouse and Foss rivers. The city’s name derives from the old Danish word “Yorvick”. Population 181,094 (2001).

II

Economy

York is an industrial, commercial, and transport centre. Factories produce chocolate, construction and engineering products, and scientific instruments. There is substantial office employment in insurance, health care, and the rail industry. York also has a growing sector in the field of bioscience. Tourism makes a significant contribution to York’s economy, as almost 4 million people visit the city each year. Railways are important to York, both directly as a source of employment, and as a transport link to the rest of Britain; York is on the east coast high-speed rail link that connects Edinburgh and London.

III

Places of Interest

York has many medieval architectural landmarks, of which the most prominent is the cathedral of St Peter, commonly known as York Minster. Built between the 13th and 15th centuries, the minster is a magnificent example of Gothic architecture, and contains more medieval glass than any other church in England. The medieval core of the city is encircled by well-preserved walls (largely 14th century) that contain four of the main fortified gates (called bars). The remains of two Roman towers may also be seen. The South Transept of the Minster was badly damaged in a fire in 1984 and has since been restored; in 1998, the restoration of the west door was completed. Among the city’s notable museums is the Jorvik Viking Centre, opened in 1984, which provides a reconstruction of life in York when it was inhabited by the Vikings, as well as a display of numerous artefacts found in archaeological excavations. Equally notable are the National Railway Museum and the Castle Museum, with exhibits about everyday life in Yorkshire. The University of York was established in 1963.

IV

History

In the 1st century ad, the site was occupied by the Romans, who named it Eboracum and turned it into one of the most important military forts in Roman Britain. Here the Roman emperors Lucius Septimius Severus and Constantius I died, and in 306 Constantine the Great became the only emperor to be proclaimed as such in Britain. The town was made the capital of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria in the 7th century. York became an episcopal see around 625, and by the 8th century it was renowned as a centre of learning. Conquered by the Danes in 867, it later became a vassal state of the West Saxons. In the Middle Ages, York was a prosperous port and market town; its famous cycle of morality plays dates from this period. In 1644, during the English Civil War, York surrendered to the Parliamentarians after the Battle of Marston Moor nearby. Economic downturn, caused by the decline of the wool trade, was arrested in the 19th century, when York developed as a rail centre.

York was the county town of Yorkshire until 1974, when, under local government reforms, the county was partitioned to form the counties of North Yorkshire and Humberside, and the metropolitan counties of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. From then until April 1, 1996, York was part of North Yorkshire, with local government responsibilities divided between two bodies: the North Yorkshire county council and York city council. On that date York and its rural environs were separated administratively from North Yorkshire. The City of York unitary authority, comprising the area of the former city council area and parts of the adjacent Ryedale and Selby districts, is responsible for all aspects of local government, including those formerly provided by the city council. The change was implemented under recommendations of the Local Government Commission, which was set up under 1992 legislation to review the structure of local government in England. However, York remains part of North Yorkshire for geographical purposes.